Suds saving system for automatic washer

ABSTRACT

The instant invention provides an automatic washer which has washing, rinsing and sud saving modes. In the suds saving mode, the wash water is pumped into a supplementary laundry tub for later reuse in the automatic washer to reduce the overall wash water requirements for the washer. A purge or &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;burp&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; function is provided for in the automatic washer after the sudsy water has been pumped into the supplementary storage receptacle so as to insure the elimination of suds within the line leading to it and also within the pump. This purging action is accomplished by the pumping of rinse water, for a short time duration, towards the supplementary storage receptacle after the rinse cycle has been completed. By the use of such an extra step with the conventional suds save mode, the pumping arrangement for the pumping of sudsy water from the supplementary storage receptacle may effectively handle the returning detergent carrying water without being disabled by air locking caused by a large amount of suds initially disposed within the pump or conduit extending to the supplementary laundry tub.

[191 [1 11 3,804,588 [451 Apr. 16, 1974 Primary Examiner-Harvey C. Hornsby Assistant Examiner-Philip R. Coe Attorney, Agent, or Firm-E. C. Arenz [57] ABSTRACT The instant invention provides an automatic washer which has washing, rinsing and sud saving modes. In the suds saving mode, the wash water is pumped into a supplementary laundry tub for later reuse in the automatic washer to reduce the overall wash water requirements for the washer. A purge or burp function is provided for in the automatic washer after the sudsy water has been pumpedinto the supplementary 8/158 storage receptacle so as to insure the elimination of 38/08 suds within the line leading to it and also within the 8/158, 159; 6 pump. This purging action is accomplished by the 68/207 208 pumping of rinse water, for a short time duration, towards the supplementary storage receptacle after the rinse cycle has been completed. By the use of such anextra step with the conventional suds save mode, the pumping arrangement for the pumping of sudsy water from the supplementary storage receptacle may effectively handle the returning detergent carrying ogmvw iss a a M a C water without being disabled by air locking caused by a large amount of suds initially disposed within the pump or conduit extending to the supplementarylaun- United States Patent Sims A SUDS SAVING SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATIC WASHER [751' inventor: Robert J. Sims, Mansfield, Ohio [73] Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corporation,

Pittsburgh, Pa.

[22] Filed:

Mar. 27, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 238,359

Related US. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 75,335, Sept. 25, 1970, Pat. No.

[51] Int. Cl. [58] Field of Search References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS H z s. I e t 3:. l n J./... i r r. c r r N, n v tr r it a v. .1 Infill r. d 1 .H 1 H ..|l\ 1.2. I m in I 1 it l l own m n w 5 m mm a n". I m m T m m m n m mm H v m "P Wm m P n m m Am R m. m W 0 B S t. 655 E G 590 A 4 556 P 6 999 9 HHHNH 274 G 5 H. 240 R 0 0 0 oo .F 4 7 093 5 9 222 PATENTEDAPR 16 B74 SHEET 1 BF 2 mmgmm 16 1914 3.804.588.

SHEET 2 0F 2 WASH PUMP/SPIN RINSE PUMP/SPIN OFF A LC suns SAVE- V BURPJ WASH WATER RE TuRN .UMEKMLHAKI- FIG.3.

1 SUDS SAVING SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATIC WASHER This is a division, of U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 75,335 filed Sept. 25, 1970, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,695,291.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to automatic washers, and, more particularly, relates to automatic washers having a suds save mode of operation.

2. Description of the Prior Art The use of automatic washers having a sud save mode of operation which pump detergent containing wash water from the automatic washer to a set tube .or the like during a portion of .its operational cycle and then later reclaims this detergent carrying wash water so as to utilize it to wash an additional load of clothes has been known by the housewife for several years. However, the returning of saved wash water from the supplementary set tub to the automatic washer has been a problemfor all manufacturers of sud save washing machines because of the possibility of aeration of the pump at the time when the saved water and its entrained detergent are tobe pumped back into the automatic washer. More specifically, the pump utilized to pump the water containing detergent back to the automatic washer is subject to aeration and a non-primed condition based onthe fact that the final portions of detergent containing wash water pumped to the supplementary set tub contained a largeamount of suds. The use of a standard pump, which is adequate for drainage of wash water from within the automatic washer and also for the movement of detergent containing wash water'into the supplementary set tub to return the used wash water to the washing machine has subjected many as an auxiliary or as a substitute pump, imparts an additional cost to the manufacturer and, if an auxiliary pump is utilized, also requires a substantially more complicated" conduit arrangement so that the wash water being returned to the automatic washer finds its way through the auxiliary pump and also through the conduit arrangement for it. H

Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide an automatic washer. having a suds save mode with only a single drainage pump which would perform all the pumping operationsrequired bythe automatic washer cycle exceptrecirculation and, yet, at the same time, one which would be adapted in its operation to make provision to insure thatit was not subjected to air locking by a high sudslevel contained in the conduit extending to thesupplementary set storage tub containing detergent carrying wash water.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The instant inventioncontemplatesan automatic washer having wash, rinse and suds save modes of operation, with a single pump utilized for circulating the conventionally locating the diverter valve close to and higher than the pump and then insuring that the exhaust hose to the supplementary set storage tubs is a continuous slope upward to the set tub and, further, by the innovative utilization of a purge or burp mode of operation for the automatic washer which clears the discharge line to the supplementary tub and the interior of the pump of all suds prior to the reversal of this pump and a repumping of the saved and stored detergent carrying water back into the automatic washing machine. This purge or burp mode consists essentially of an additional actuation of the pump and twoway diverter valve to drain water from the automatic washer to the set tub for a short period of time after the rinse water has been utilizedduring the rinse mode of operation of the automatic washenBecause of the disposition of the flapperof the two-way diverter valve,

the pump and the conduit from the pump to the supplementary storage tub ispurged and cleared of all suds and air by the introduction of rinse water to it so that,

upon reversal, the pump may easily repump'the saved suds and wash water back into the automatic washer without an air lock developing within its pumping chambers. The length of time for such a mode of operation is minimal so that a large amount of rinse water is not transferred into the set tub. The time duration of operation may be set for between 5 and 20 seconds, with this time period being long enough to insure a sufficient purge of the pump and conduit leading to, the set tub of all air and suds contained therein. Of course, after the completion of the purge or burp cycle, the conduit extending to the supplementary set tub and the pump arefull of rinse water. Then this rinse water acts as a prime for the pump so that there is no problem in restarting pumping action for the opposite direction of flow.

I RAWI G DESCRIPTION H For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the preferred embodiment, exemous modes of operation of the automatic washer. as it goes through one whole cycle.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT wash water as the agitator 116 rotates about its vertical axis formed essentially by the axis of the centerpost 18. A skirt 22 is joined to the radially extending vanes at the bottom of the agitator 16 to provide for general strength and rigidity for the assemblage of the agitator A hub 24 mounts the basket 12 within the tub or casing 14 for rotation by being boltingly attached thereto by a series of bolts 25. The agitator 16 receives its rotational drive through a shaft 26 extending upwardly through the centerpost 18 and having a nut at its upper termination attaching the centerpost 18 to the shaft 26. Both the agitator 16 and basket 12 are'driven by a transmission 30 disposed below the tub 14, with the ag itator l6 driven by the transmission in one direction of rotation of it through the shaft 26 and the hub 24 rotating the basket 12 in the other direction of rotation of the transmission. This transmission is substantially conventional and forms no part of the instant invention, so no additional details of it are given herein.

The transmission 30 is driven through a conventional reversible electric motor 32 that has a pulley 34 mounted with and rotated by it. Pulley 34, in turn, provides a rotational drive to a pulley 36 directly connected to transmission 30, with this pulley mounted outwardly of the main housing for the transmission so as to readily receive a belt 38 or the like so that it extends around both it and the pulley 34. Thus, the transmission 30 can be driven in either direction of rotation, dependent entirely upon the direction of rotation of the electric motor 32.

' A base frame 40 is provided for the automatic washer 10 to support its other elements. This frame has a globular surface (not shown) forming a dome on which the remainder of the operating and supporting parts of the automatic clothes washer are disposed. A similarly shaped flange 42 supports the already described operating elements directly from the base frame 40 by connection to a sen'es of struts fixed to and extending upwardly to the tub or casing 14. This mounting arrangement is described inmore detailed form in US. Pat. No. 3,277,742, issued Oct. 11, 1966 and owned by a common assignee. Reference may be made to this pa- ,tent for a fuller understanding of the aforementioned mounting arrangement.

A water inlet valve .44 of conventional character is provided so asto receive hot and cold water from a pair of conduits 46, 48 attached, respectively, to hot and cold water supplies (not shown). This valve functions through a pair of solenoid means to provide the clothes washer 10 with proper temperature water for the wash and rinse cycles. A conduit 50 attached to water inlet valve 44 on its discharge side provides a flow path from the valve 44 to the automatic washing machine 10, with the discharge from this conduit being situated below a splash guard 52 ofwashing machine 10.

A pump 54 is disposed above electric motor 32 to be driven thereby so as to provide for recirculating water for the washing machine 10. vThis pump is provided with an inlet conduit 56 which is attached to the automatic washer l0 slightly above the bottom of the tub or casing 114 so as to provide the recirculating pump 54 with a positive flow of water. The conduit 56, at its lower end connects to the inlet side of the recirculating pump 54, while a conduit 58 leads the discharge flow from the recirculating pump 54 upwardly so that the recirculating wash water is discharged over a filter 60 of the clothes washing machine 10. Water drains therefrom by gravity through a series of perforations 62 contained in the filter 60 and backwardly into the basket 12 so that clothes being washed in automatic washer 10 are continually supplied witha wash water supply which is free of large dirt particles and lint.

A second pump 64 is also mounted so as to be directly driven by electric motor 32 with this pump being provided with a supply of water on. its normal suction side through a drain 66 disposed in the bottom of the tub or casing 14. On the discharge side of the pump 64, it is connected to a diverter valve 68 which provides for discharge of the water from the pump 64 to either a discharge conduit 70 connected to the diverter valve 68 and extending to a conventional drain (not shown) or to a discharge conduit 72 connected to the diverter valve 68 and extending to a supplementary set tub 74 that is provided to maintain and save the detergent carrying wash water at a location apart from the washing machine 10. The discharge conduit 72 leading to set tub 74 also functions as a'suction or inlet conduit when the detergent carrying wash water, maintained in set tub 74, is pumped backwardly into automatic washing machine 10 when the second pump 64 is reversed in direction due to a reversal of rotational direction of electric motor 32.

A more detailed description of the operation of diverter valve 68 will now be given. Referring now to FIG. 2 of the Drawings, it can be seen to include a single inlet 76 and a pair of outlets 78 and 80, with the inlet 76 connected to the discharge or suction side of the second pump 64 (dependent upon pump rotation). With the pump 64 operating to discharge water from the inlet 76, detergent carrying wash water flows therefrom into a chamber 82 of diverter valve 68 to which both the outlets 78 and 80 are confluently connected. Water passes, alternatively from chamber 82 into outlet 78 or outlet 80, dependent upon the position of a solenoid operated flapper valve 84.

I AS illustrated, the solenoid operated flapper 84 is shown in both a full line and a dash-dotted line position. In the full line position of this flapper valve it closes the outlet 78 which leads to the room drain so the discharge conduit 70 is obstructed and the flow of detergent carrying wash water through the diverter valves 68 is then from inlet 76 to outlet 80 and from there into conduit 72 so that the wash water flow is directed to the set tub storage means 74. In the dotted line position of the solenoid operated flapper valve 84, flow of water from the chamber 82 is outwardly through the outlet 78 to the drain provided for the automatic washing machine 10. It should also be noted that, with the solenoid operated flapper valve 84 in its full line position and the pump rotating in an opposite direction from that described immediately above, that the wash water flow is then inwardly through the outlet 80 so that it serves as an inlet means to the diverter valve 68. During this stage of operation, with stored water being pumped backwardly into the automatic washer 10, the flow of water is through the chamber 82 and inlet 76 to the second pump 64 and from thence backwardly into the tub or casing 14 through the drain vertervalve 68 is disposed immediately above the secondpump 64 and the conduit 72 connected thereto extends at an angletipwardly to the set tub 74 so that provision can be made for providing a pressure head of water above the pump 64 during and immediately before operation of the pump 64in a direction to return detergent carrying wash water back into the automatic washing machine 10. i

The operationof washing machine is illustrated graphically in FIG. 3 wherein the conventional modes of Wash, Pump/Spin, Rinse, Pump/Spin and Off are shown, Superimposed on these modes are the Suds Save, Wash Water Return and Bur'p" or Purge modes with the last of these three modes being the innovative step in the operation of the washingmachine 10. Each of these modes, in activation and time duration, is controlled by a selectorswitch (not shown) having a series of contacts (not shown), some movable and some fixed, with the movable contacts actuated in their movement by a series of timer-motor driven cams havinghigh and low points on their profiles. Such -a selector switch means is conventional and well known, the

same being typically shown, for example, in US. Pat.

through water inlet valve 44 and then agitator 16 is activated to oscillate the water and clothes within washing machine 10. At the same time, recirculation pump 54 pumps wash water upwardly for discharge into filter 60 so as to provide a continuous supply of substantially lintand dirt free wash'water for the washing of clothes in basket 12. i 3

At the completion of the timed Wash mode, the pump 64 is activated to drain detergent carrying wash water from washing machine 10 with the solenoid of diverter valve 68 energized soas to place outlet 80 of it into communication with the set tub 74 and thereby permit the pumping of the detergent carrying wash water into the set tub. After a period of time, (a sufficientlength of time to recover substantially all the wash water from the automatic washing machine 10) diverter valve 68 is permitted to go to a deenergized state therebypermitting the solenoid operated flapper valve 84 to resume the dotted line position of FIG. 2 as urged t em b tsn sla st An xemsini s wa Water. then present in automatic Washer 10 is pumped outtric motor 32 is not subject to an overload based on a full level of water in washing machine 10 during spinmng.

After the Spin operation of the Pump/Spin mode has been completed, automatic washing machine 10 is then in condition for the operation of the conventional Rinse mode, the rinse water being again provided for washing machine 10 through water inlet valve 44. As is conventional, once filled to a sufficient level of rinse water, automatic washing machine 10 circulates this rinse water through the aegis of the circulating pump 54 so as to maintain substantially clean rinse water for rinsingpurposes by this circulating rinse water draining downwardly through filter 60. At the completion of the Rinse mode for automatic washing machine 10, the Purge mode of operation occurs so as to insure that the pump 64 is properly primed at that time when returned wash water is pumped backwardly into automatic washer 10 for the initiation of another wash cycle.

At the completion of the Rinse mode of operation, washing machine 10 contains a high level of rinse water which is substantially suds free. The pump 64 is then initiated to momentarilyforce a slug-of rinse water into the again energized diverter valve 68 and through it to the set tub 74. This fills the conduit 72, the diverter valve 68 and the inlet to the pump 64 and its pumping chamber with a substantially foamless and suds free water so that a later initiation of the pump 64 to reclaim the stored detergent containing wash water maintained in the tub 74 results in no air locking the pump. The pump 64, initially, is thereby fullyprimed so that it may, at a later time, without becoming air locked, pump the saved detergent carrying wash water back into the washing machine 110. Sucha mode of operation can be considered a Burp mode sinceits duration is small and, yet, entrained air is fully removed from the passage ways leading to the set tub 74. The purging effect, then, is provided. solely'by the rinse water which is pumped toward the tub 74 to eliminate air containing suds and any air bubbles in the means serving as conduit between pump 64 and set tub 74.

Initiation of the Eu or Pur emode is accomits solenoid (not shown) to move the solenoid operated flapper valve 84 against spring bias to the properposition for maintaining a flow path to the set tub 74. The electric motor 32 is also energized during this time so as to drive the second pump 64 to move a portion of the rinse water contained in automatic washing machine 10 toward the set tub 74.

As can be seen in FIG. 3, the Purge or Burp mode of operation is extremely limited relative to the length of time duration of the other modes of automatic washing machine 10. This mode may have: a time duration of 5 to 20 seconds, actual practice having shown this as a sufficient time duration for purging, so that only a small amount of rinse water need be pumped into and through the means forming the conduit between the washing machine 10 and the set tub 74 to eliminate suds and bubbles and to provide ,a full purge and thereby a prime for the pump 64.

At the completion of the five to 20 seconds time period which is required for the Burp mode of operation, the pump 64 continues to be in an active pumping condition, but the diverter valve 68 returns to its deenergized waste drainage position so that the flapper valve member 84 now closes off the outlet to the supplementary tub 74 and all water pumped by the pump 64 is directed to the household drain which is located, advantageously, adjacent to washing machine 10.

At the completion of the Pump/Spin mode of operation after the Rinse mode, automatic washing machine 10 has completed sufficient modes to provide a load of clean and rinsed clothes. Automatic washing machine 10 then goes to its Off mode of operation which is a timed portion of the cycle as dictated by the timer motor (not shown). Near the end of the Off mode of operation, the Wash Water Return mode of operation is actuated. At this time, the electric motor 32 drives pump 64 in the opposite direction of rotation than that previously described. Simultaneously, the diverter valve 68 is energized so as to provide a communication between the set tub 74 and automatic washing machine 10. Because of the presence of rinse water in the means forming the conduit between the tub and automatic washer, pump 64 is fully primed and immediately starts pumping. A flow of the small slug of rinse water immediately followed by detergent carrying wash water in set tub 74 is returned to automatic washing machine 10. The Wash Wate'rReturn mode of operation has a time duration of sufficient length to insure that substantially all of the detergent carrying wash water stored in set tub 74 is again moved into automatic washing machine l and the tub 14 thereof. At the completion of this mode, the automatic washing machine moves to a full off position. An additional complete wash cycle for it maybe initiated by the operator thereof moving the selector switch (not shown) back into the Wash mode of operation. Any make-up water required for the operation of automatic washing machine 10 will be supplied through water inlet valve 44, with this make-up water placing the washing machine 10 in condition for the reception of additional dirty clothes and the completion of another wash cycle.

It should be clear to one skilledin the art that the above described invention provides a cycle of operation for a washing machine which insures that there is no air lock of the pump utilized to return saved wash water to the washing machine and the same may be easily applied to a conventional wash cycle arrangement for a washing machine. Further, it should be obvious to one skilled in the art that many modifications can be made to the details of the foregoing invention which still fall within its spirit and scope and the description offered.

What is claimed is:

l. The method of promoting a continuing prime of a single pump operable in one direction to pump used water either to a drain or through a line to a separate storage tub and operable in the opposite direction to return used wash water through said line from said separate storage tub for subsequent reuse in an automatic washing machine having an operational mode including a suds-saving operation, comprising:

operating said pump in said one direction to pump a quantity of rinse water through said line connecting said pump to said storage tubsufi'rcient to clear said line of suds and air and then continuing operation of said pump in said one direction to pump the remainder of said rinse water to said drain before said pump is operated thereafter insaid opposite direction to return said used wash water to said machine. I v

2. The method of claim 1 including:

limiting said quantity of rinse water pumped to said storage tub to a minor portion of the total rinse water pumped out by said machine during a rinse 

2. The method of claim 1 including: limiting said quantity of rinse water pumped to said storage tub to a minor portion of the total rinse water pumped out by said machine during a rinse water pump-out operation.
 3. The method of claim 2 wherein: pumping said quantity of rinse water during a final rinse pump-out. 